Memories
by Debbie the Fabulous
Summary: Four one-shots (each mostly independent of each other) depicting long-forgotten memories of our favorite feisty blonde, Jounouchi Katsuya/Joey Wheeler. T for safety.
1. of Autumn

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh!,_ its characters, plots, or anything even remotely associated with it.**

The idea itself was inspired by Brian Crain's "Memories of Autumn," but each chapter was inspired by the season it was named after on his album "Piano Opius."

I feel the title is self explanatory, but just in case: I was _inspired_ to make this _series_ revolving around _memories_.

"But Debbs! What about that colon?"

Ah, the ever-elusive colon!

If you truly wish to know, I plan on making more of these one-shots, but it won't be the same story; when posted, they will be titled "Inspiration Series," followed by the colon and the idea it revolves around.

Enjoy~

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**of Autumn**

Sitting back in his rusty little folding chair behind the counter in the game shop, Jounouchi Katsuya sighed deeply, a slight frown turning his lips down as he thought; as of late, he'd been having the strangest daydreams. He could simply be walking down the street, and if he saw something that sparked a familiar feeling of nostalgia, time stopped and he would stare at that something, enraptured, as sepia-tone children enacted some scene locked away deep in his heart.

He recognized himself in these daydreams, and sometimes Shizuka, but he could never quite place any other children in these scenes. Whether that meant they were unimportant to said scene or just to him, he didn't know, and he may never.

He looked up as the bell above the door chimed, signaling visitors, and found a raven-haired Kaiba grinning much like that striped cat from one of Lewis Carroll's works.

"Hey, Jou!" he greeted happily, hopping up to the counter and leaning forward to look down at the more valuable cards on display.

The blonde smiled at the young man's enthusiasm and leaned forward as well, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was the Mokuba was seeing.

"Hey, kid," Katsuya responded, brushing back the unruly blonde fringe that could never stay out of his face. "You sure are happy today. What's up?"

Mokuba was quiet for only a second before pushing himself away from the counter and beaming up at his blonde companion.

"Nii-sama said he'll be taking a day off soon," the teen explained. "He said we could go to the park like we used to, before we were adopted, and watch the leaves fall."

Katsuya smiled softly in response, knowing full well the deep love that the raven-haired young man held for his older sibling, and Katsuya could relate; he remembered going to the park, as well, and pushing his little sister into the piles of leaves they collected before jumping in after her, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

His smile faded some as something else floated across his mind's eye; two brothers, one obviously more care-free than the other despite their young ages. The younger of the two once tried to join Katsuya and Shizuka, but was quickly stopped by his sibling.

With come coaxing, the older boy reluctantly let go of his brother's hand, who only took it again to drag his elder down into the frosty leaves, as well.

"_I told you this would be fun, Seto!"_ the younger exclaimed happily, watching, amused, as his brother let a small smile spread his pale lips.

* * *

Stay Fabulous~! :D


	2. of Winter

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh!,_ its characters, plots, or anything even remotely associated with it.**

* * *

**of Winter**

He wouldn't believe the sight before him if it weren't he himself standing there; it had been a full year since he'd last seen Shizuka, but when he'd imagined he would see her again, he sure hadn't thought that she would be unconscious in a hospital bed.

He made his way to her bedside and took her limp hand in his, comforted only slightly by the steady rise and fall of her chest as her small, labored breaths filled the room.

The IV was burrowed deep into her wrist, he noted, and she seemed to be even paler than she'd normally been when he was last graced with her presence.

The blonde knelt down beside his sibling and brought her hand to his cheek, brows knit close together in confusion; who would want to hurt this innocent girl?

She'd never done anything wrong in her life. She wasn't a bad person. She didn't fall in with the wrong crowd.

He knew she wasn't like that.

He hoped that it was just a case of the wrong place at the wrong time, but why would she be in the wrong place at all? Let alone the time...

He let out a heavy sigh, angry at the men who had forced themselves upon her, and at himself for thinking that their mother was perfectly capable of taking care of Shizuka when she could barely take care of herself.

A figure loomed in the doorway, but he ignored it until the figure spoke.

"I'm sorry about your sister, Jounouchi."

The blonde looked up with a blank expression, unsure why this man cared and how he had even found out.

Katsuya opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly answered.

"When I went to pick up my brother from your friends, I heard..." the brunette began quietly, cerulean eyes on the sleeping girl. "He insisted we come see you."

Katsuya's lips twitched up ever so slightly; he could always count on Mokuba to take his sanity into account.

The blonde looked past the tall brunette dressed in his usual attire of a simple black turtleneck and black pants and to the raven-haired young man slowly inching his way into the room, two cups of what seemed to be coffee preventing him from making any sudden or brash movements.

Katsuya and Seto watched the teen carefully set the cups down on the simple tray beside the girl's bed and shuffled over to Shizuka's side, as well.

The young man never seemed to stop amazing Katsuya with his big, warm heart, but he didn't mind; he could use a little heat in this cold room—it felt like the winter before his parents' divorce, and suddenly, he could hear them again.

Always yelling at each other, never seeming to stop and take a breath or think that maybe they were ruining their childrens' minds and chances of successful relationships in their own futures.

He could see that night again, and looked over to the young, sleeping Shizuka on the other side of the room, curled up under her blanket and hugging her doll to her chest like a lifeline.

He only blinked as she began to stir, sure she would wake up and ask when they would stop fighting, to which his younger self would only shrug before smiling and ask if she wanted to see if there was any snow yet.

Her eyes lit up and she nodded before sliding out of her small bed, slipping on her bunny slippers and hopping over to her closet to get her jacket.

Young Katsuya, having already been in his warmest clothing as he'd given his blanket to Shizuka to use as well, merely waited for her to hobble to his side before gently taking her hand in his own and quietly leading her out of their room, through the narrow hall, and out the back door to their barren backyard.

He remembered the ground being a disappointing muddy brown from the recent rains, but just as they turned to go back inside, something caught his sister's eye, and she tugged him away from the door.

Katsuya watched his as his younger self was guided by the little girl beside him to a small number of icicles hanging from the lowest branch of the only tree in their yard, and she broke one off to inspect.

It glistened gleefully as she turned it over in her hands, and she beamed up at him.

He was slightly confused for a moment.

"_But it's not snow,"_ he pointed out.

"_I know,"_ she agreed, running the point down his nose and giggling when he shivered away, _"but it's just as pretty,"_ she said, hugging him, carefully keeping the icicle away from him to make sure he didn't get wet.

* * *

Stay Fabulous~! :D


	3. of Spring

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh!,_ its characters, plots, or anything even remotely associated with it.**

* * *

**of Spring**

The sun shone brightly and brilliantly over the lush green grass wet with dew as he looked for a suitable place to lay down the blanket and wait for Shizuka; ever since that night, he promised himself he would spend more time with her and watch over her more.

He'd even forced himself to get reacquainted with his mother, who, when asked why Shizuka had been alone that night, didn't have an answer.

That was when he made it his mission to get his sister out of her mother's care, but he didn't know how; what argument could he really present in any court if he was under-aged and fresh out of high school?

Sure, he could ask Sugoroku, but that was just being a burden on the old man who had already taken his grandson and the blonde in as his own, and Katsuya didn't want that.

He sighed heavily as he made his way to a large oak on the other side of the meadow-like park.

He set down the basket filled with what he knew were her favorite fruits and drinks to spread the thick cotton blanket over the ground and lay down on his back, looking up at the sky through the heavy leaves of the large oak above him and secretly relishing the way the light peeked through the gaps in the foliage.

He sat there a while before he heard the fallen acorns around him crunchand looked around and found a soft smile on his sister's pretty, young face.

He moved to sit up, but she waved away the action as she sat down against his side, leaning on his stomach.

She took the basket and set it beside her before opening it and rummaging through its contents, squeaking happily at the small spread of healthy treats.

"How's Mom?" the blonde asked, more out of courtesy than actual interest.

"She's fine," Shizuka replied, taking a dark red strawberry from its container and biting into it. "She's angry with me, though."

Katsuya's brows knit together in confusion and he pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Why?" he wondered aloud, accepting the new strawberry she produced from the basket and offered to him. He took a bite and let the tart sugary juice run over his tongue before taking another.

"Because she's angry with you," the girl replied, taking another red berry for herself. "You yelled at her last time you came over to pick me up and she yelled at me for not defending her," she said simply, shrugging her narrow shoulders. "I told her that you were just worried about me, then she said that I being irrational by taking your 'side.'"

Katsuya lay back down, trying to remember why he yelled at the shrill woman. Shizuka must have noticed, because she filled him in.

"One of my friends was over, and he left when you came in. You said you didn't trust him."

He nodded slowly, the faded memory returning; the boy was clearly around Katsuya's age and reeked of cigarettes and alcohol.

How the boy had slipped past their mother was beyond the blonde, but the fact that Shizuka was friends with him was unfathomable.

Sure, she believed in the best in people, but he didn't want her to fall in with the wrong crowd like he did. That's why he chewed out their mother for not paying better attention to Shizuka—especially after this past winter.

"I didn't," Katsuya stated simply. "Which is why I told you to stay away from him. Have you been doing that?" he asked, watching his sibling carefully for a reaction.

She nodded simply, rolling her eyes with a small smirk.

"Of course. I know better than to go against you."

The blonde smiled and lay back down, looking back up at the thin beams of light filtering through the leaves for a moment before closing his eyes and heaving a heavy sigh.

Suddenly, the smell of freshly cut grass filled his nose as he was enveloped in a brisk wind.

He cracked open an amber eye, confused, and was blinded by the sun directly overhead.

He looked around, squinting, unsure why he was he was... where was he, exactly?

Paying more attention to his surroundings now, he noticed he was still in the park, but it was different somehow—more clean and less polluted. He took a few steps forward and stopped; he was trapped in another memory, he realized.

Already familiar with how it worked, he let his gaze wander to find his younger self.

Sure enough, by the monkey bars, he found himself kneeling down beside his sister, who seemed about ready to burst into tears. Behind them, he could see his mother sitting on the bench leaning forward, legs crossed at the ankles and his father leaning haphazardly against a tree a few meters behind her, seemingly annoyed.

Katsuya made his way over to his younger self and listened.

"_I know it seems scary, but it's really fun!"_ the young blonde ensured, squeezing his sister's shoulder.

"_But what if I fall?"_ she asked, looking up, tears forming in her eyes as her hands balled around the hem of her shirt. _"I don't wanna get hurt,"_ she sniffled.

"_I won't let you fall, Shi-chan,"_ he said, smiling. _"I promise."_

He hugged the young girl and helped her shaky frame up the ladder, holding her steady when she turned back to hear what their mother was saying.

The older Katsuya turned, as well, vaguely remembering the spark of rebellion that had boiled his blood just hearing her commands.

"_Katsuya! Don't let her get on the monkey bars!"_

The young girl looked down at him worriedly, but he shook his head and smiled.

"_Don't worry,"_ he said, keeping an eye on their mother while he helped his sister grab the first bar.

"_Katsuya!"_

"_Nii-chan..."_ Shizuka trailed worriedly as the blonde came under her, guiding her legs to rest on his left shoulder and supporting her twiggy form by her waist.

"_Don't worry,"_ he said. _"I've got you. Now grab the next bar."_

She did so, faltering slightly when her mother called after them again.

"_Come on! You can do it, Shi-chan! Keep grabbing the bars!"_

She did as he said, forgetting to look over her shoulder as her name was called.

"_I'm doing it, Nii-chan!"_

She squealed with delight when she reached the last bar and let herself fall into her brother's arms.

"_I did it!"_

She beamed up at the blonde and hugged him tight, confused when he was suddenly pulled away from her grasp.

She looked up, horrified as she saw her mother raise her hand against the boy.

She quickly stepped in front of her sibling and was surprised when the sting came.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back as she looked up darkly at her mother.

"_Shizuka! I'm so sor—"_

She was pushed back and she saw her brother's mop of blonde hair.

"_You're not sorry!" _he barked angrily, glaring up at her. _"You never liked me,"_ he stated, dangerously quiet. _"You're always looking for a reason to hurt me."_

Katsuya saw the truth in the muddy brown eyes that belonged to his mother, even now.

"_Well you can't hurt me anymore!"_ he exclaimed, taking his sister by the wrist and stringing her along as he ran.

The older Katsuya followed his sepia-tone miniature doppelganger across the park, surroundings growing darker with each step.

* * *

Stay Fabulous~! :D


	4. of Summer

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh!,_ its characters, plots, or anything even remotely associated with it.**

* * *

**of Summer**

Sometimes, he wondered if maybe he wasn't supposed to exist; wouldn't the world be much better off without him causing trouble and breathing in the air of the more useful people in life?

As he lay down in bed, he pondered this, tracing random patterns in the air with his fingertips.

His jaw stretched wide as a lion's as he yawned, turning on his side and looking out the open window across the room.

He liked having the window open to breathe in the fresh air, but there were some times when he had to close it because it was too cold or too hot.

Tonight, there were no problems with temperature, and he was glad; he was tired, and wanted to be taken away from this stuffy room where all that greeted him into slumber was dust and humidity and the small spark of hope that maybe one day, he would be better than what he'd been told he would be by doubtful teachers and unforgiving peers.

He frowned, shaking his head free of these thoughts and yawned again, focusing on everything but his "abode."

The streetlight's soft glow flickered every so often, reminding him of a firefly, and a thin breeze swirled into the room, immediately lifting his spirit and soothing his frustration.

He sighed blissfully, closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, presumably hours later but still hours till dawn, he thought he saw a one; a firefly.

Frowning, he reached out to it.

He was surprised to find his arm covered with a loose long sleeve, and looked down; his narrow chest was bare and he wore pajama bottoms, as well. He felt a great deal less "heavy" of burdens for some odd reason, and deduced that maybe he wasn't just watching his memories from afar this time—there was even color, this time.

He felt his legs move without them wanting to, but he didn't mind.

He was running across the same park that he and Shizuka always went to as kids, but he never remembered coming here at night, which was strange considering the fact that of each memory so far, he'd remembered at least part of it.

He didn't ponder this further as a small figure came into his view and he slowed down to avoid colliding with it.

Upon closer inspection, he saw Shizuka huddled over something, back to him.

His mouth moved of its own accord and he heard himself claim, _"I almost caught one!"_

Shizuka turned around and beamed up at him, holding up a small, empty jelly jar with holes poked into the lid for his inspection. He squinted against the small light coming from inside and grinned.

"_Looks like you caught one before I did, sis,"_ he said with a small laugh as he mussed her hair, ignoring the small hand that came up to bat him away.

He sighed heavily as he fell back onto the damp grass to look up at the snowy flecks he knew as stars.

He frowned slightly when his sister came into view, peering down at him with the utmost curiosity.

"_What are you doing, Nii-chan?"_ she wondered innocently, seeing the dark form his young face had taken.

He was silent for a moment, unsure how to ask this pure girl, yet to be tainted by the harsh realities of life.

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again and took a deep breath.

After a few moments of silence, he blurted his thoughts before he could stop himself.

"_How come Mom and Dad like you more?"_ he asked, looking over to her.

She seemed taken aback by his inquiry, like she had no idea what he was talking about.

She probably didn't.

"_I don't... I don't understand..."_ she trailed, shaking her head, worried by the hint of venom in her brother's eyes. Her bottom lip curled out and her eyes began to well with tears at the thought that her brother was angry with her.

Seeing this, he looked away quickly, guilt beginning to set in.

An awkward moment passed between the two before he took another deep breath and pulled his sister into his arms.

"_I'm sorry, sis..."_ he trailed, looking up and catching a glimpse of a firefly before it blinked out of existence. _"I just... sometimes it's hard for me to wanna be here if no one else does,"_ he admitted.

She looked up at him, unsure.

"_I want you here."_

His lips curled up slightly.

"_Well, majority rules, sis,"_ he stated sullenly, _"and you're just one person."_

Her pale lips turned down, unhappy as she thought over this new bit of information.

"_You just wait, Nii-chan,"_ she said, a victorious smirk dancing on her lips._ "One day, you'll see that you're always wanted by more people than you know."_

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So sweet :3

Stay Fabulous~! :D


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